Nars Lip Pencils in Cruella and Rikugien

I don't confess to being obsessed with Nars, because I'm not, not really. I only own about a handful of products from them, and whilst they're good, really good... I always tend to forget about Nars. That is, until recently. Whilst perusing Asos, I was happily scrolling through the Beauty section, and alas, there it was: Deep Throat Blusher, and I'm not going to lie, I fell a bit in love. Some hasty searching was done. Swatches, formulas, packaging... they were all considered before the blusher happened to jump into my basket, and made its way to me within the next few days. Heavenly is a way to describe that blush... but I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about lip products. I bet you're saying 'When do you never not talk about lip products?' which is true, because I am obsessed and own far too many. But these are different. One is matte, one is satin. One blue-red, one a pink nude. However, they are equally as beautiful when swatched, and when worn. 

Cruella is the much talked about blue-red from the Nars collection, not as bright as Dragon Girl, a more wine esc, burgundy red that even has a slightly raspberry undertone in some light, looks so damn good on the lips. This Velvet Matte lip pencil is a favourite of big bloggers like Anna from Vivianna does makeup, and I agree that it is fantastic on the lips, and lasts for such a long time. But with most matte lip products, this can't be worn ontop of dry or flaky lips, because it'll draw attention to them right away. If you've got dry lips, prone to flaking, then stepping towards Rikugien is the right choice - a glossy satin that looks so gorgeous, a perfect pinky nude to apply on the go. This shade isn't something that I've heard a lot of bloggers talk about... or anyone really (have I been living under a rock?), so once I discovered it, I was determined to give it a shout out (if it was any good). Luckily, this is a wonderfully soft, Vitamin E enriched lip product, perfect for giving a thin wash of colour without being too sticky or weighing the lips down. It looks gorgeous teamed with a rose pink blush, for a really soft romantic look - which is so easy to create and looks effortlessly chic for any occasion. 

These two Lip Pencils can be purchased separately through Net a Porter, here for Cruella and here for Rikugien, at £18 and £20 respectively. They are a little expensive, but the quality of the packaging and formulas speak loudly, and at a good three hours wear before a touch up is really needed, I'm really quite impressed by these two lip pencils. I think I'll be needing more Nars in my life, anything I need? 

My Muji Storage Drawers

Yes, I'm a blogger cliche. But you know what? I don't care. I love being cliched sometimes. I love Instagramming pictures of my coffee and when my shoes look good on a nice floor, and I love how my fancy makeup looks so perfect and Pinnterest worthy in these acrylic drawers from Muji. The only sad thing is that I didn't buy more, and I really really should have, but I didn't want to carry them around London when I was there the other week. I guess I'll just have to plan another trip. Oh well. 

On my last morning in London, I wandered over to Muji, as the hotel we stayed in, the St. Giles, was literally around the corner from Oxford Street. So whilst my boyfriend was getting ready for the day, I popped over and had a nose around and my my - it was nothing like I'd ever been in before. It was like Ikea, but much smaller and just as organised. Everything was displayed perfectly and I literally didn't want to touch anything, because it was all so pristine. But I did. Sorry about that, Muji. I did manage to find my way over to the stationary section and I must have stood there for a good 15 minutes, just gawking over all the storage possibilities, before leaving with a two drawer wide acrylic box (£14.95, here). I could see it clearly in my mind - it would look glorious housing all the makeup packaging that was far too beautiful to keep hiding away in drawers. There would finally be a place on my chest of drawers that would be home to Charlotte Tilbury, Tom Ford, Estée Lauder and Nars. Four extremely beautiful brands that deserve to be gazed upon from my bed, and by those passing by my room (basically my boyfriend and mum). 

I love how sleek they look, how easy the drawers are to remove, how hard wearing they are and just how damn stunning they look. I just feel an immense sense of pride whenever I look at them (could possibly be combined with the makeup inside, but whatevs) and I just think, 'what's so wrong with having anything cliched in your life, as long as you enjoy it?'. The answer is really, that there's nothing wrong with it at all. So you'll bet that I'll be putting on some cute shoes, finding a cute floor and a coffee cup with my name on it, and loving life. Because why the devil not? 

   

Clinique Lip Pop + Primer Lipsticks

Me, lipstick obsessed? Never! Well, okay, maybe just a little bit... OKAY, you've got me, I am obsessed and I have far too many. But will that stop me from buying more? Hahahahaha no. I love switching brands, formulas and colours too much to stop buying lipsticks, and these three from Clinique are no different. I love the idea of a 'Lip Pop' lipstick, a 'pop' of colour, a lipstick you can 'pop' on... the possibilities are endless; but what I love the best about them is their ease of wear. They are silky smooth, long wearing and have a fantastic selection of shades... the three above being my favourite choices. There's the 'Nude Pop' for the nude lip lover, 'Melon Pop' for the coral pink Summer worshipper in us and 'Cherry Pop' for the lively, yet classic look that I adore wearing. These three shades apply in exactly the same way, with a non-dragging formula, that just seem to slick onto the lips in the creamiest of ways. Almost as if you're applying a really, really creamy colour onto your lips, one that you expect to smudge almost immediately - but with these shades, they just stay put. Even 'Cherry Pop' which is one of the brightest shades in the collection stays where it's supposed to. 

These three are some wonderful go-to shades and formulas, because I know that they're going to last really well, and even when they do fade, it's not going to be horrific - they wear evenly, and don't clump or look heavy when the formula is reapplied over the top. That happens to me with some lipsticks, and it just looks so heavy and fake... but not with these. I think its down to the creaminess of the texture, which allows it to be blended so easily. Cherry Pop is a really crisp looking blue red, and I'm a huge huge fan of shades like that, as not only do they generally tend to suit everyone, but they make teeth look brighter and healthier, and who doesn't love that? Melon Pop is a very cute shade, really fresh and a softer coral than anything I've really seen before. It applies a little bit darker on my lips because of the pigmentation, but I sometimes blend foundation/concealer over my lips to not only make the lipstick last longer (if possible haha) but to reveal the true colour (as swatched below). Nude Pop is such an everyday pink nude, really subtle and perfect for slicking on without even looking in the mirror. It's a shade that's been a permanent attachment to my handbag for the last few weeks, and it's such an effortless look to pull off. All of these shades can be worn straight from the bullet for maximum impact with a slight glossiness to them, or can be patted down after application to make them appear more matte. I personally wear them both ways, because they're equally as beautiful.

I've always been a Clinique fan, ever since my mum gave me one of those cute little travel sets that you in get airports and on ferries; it had a simple three step skincare routine, along with a little lipstick and lo'- I think a long term love affair was started. Since then, I always loved looking at Clinique, but was forever intimidated by the girls on the counters, who knew so much and looked so professional with their perfect makeup. To this day, I still find some to be quite intimidating, but know that I know somewhat about makeup/skincare/beauty, I find that they're more than willing to chat and share their favourite products, and routines - I think that they love the idea of people sharing their passions, and who wouldn't love that? I remember swatching 'Cherry Pop' in a Boots in Cardiff, whilst chatting to an assistant, and then there was a major swatch fest going on, where I must have left with an armful of makeup swatches. Don't you just love it when that happens? I left with the lipstick, after gushing originally over the packaging, (and then falling for the colour and formula) thinking that 'Hey, they love makeup just like I do', so from then on, talking to anyone on a counter has been more of a conversation, than a battle, or me just shaking my head and saying that I don't need any help. 

The main thing that I take from Clinique is their formulas, and these Lip Pop and Primers are no different. I think they're one of the first, that I'm aware of, that have included a primer in their lipstick, thereby taking away the fussiness and condensing it all down into one easy application. These lipsticks are £16 each, and can be found here. I've got my eye on a few other shades as well, like Poppy, Sweet, Sugar and Papaya. Which ones have you got your eye on? 

Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Fair.

This is one of those concealers that I've seen a lot of, and not at the same time. I've not seen that many bloggers review it, or even talk about it, but I know that makeup artists use it, so why the blogger blackout? I've yet to really read any posts on it, from the thousand or so blogger on my Twitter timeline, or on my Instagram timeline, and I want to change that, because this concealer is so so good. If you suffer from dark circles, like I do, then this is something that you're going to need to look at. An extremely full coverage concealer than not only conceals dark circles, but evens skin tone without making me look plastic (although having an amazingly even skin tone is what I really, really want). I use this on my under eyes, on any blemishes and down the centre of my face, in the so called 'triangle of light' where you apply concealed to conceal, lift and brighten the face. Mostly, I'm really concerned with concealing, because my under eyes are one of my biggest insecurities, and dark circles are a big issue for me. If someone says 'oh you look tired' then I immediately feel like shit, because despite the fact that I'm well rested and got a glowing face of makeup on, I'm still classed as exhausted by the state of my under eyes.

My under eyes are something that I try and keep as hydrated as possible, because dry under eyes mean creasing concealer, whilst applying too much eye cream under makeup means smudging. It's almost a lose-lose situation, but with this Amazing Cosmetics Concealer, I feel that I finally have the opportunity to look... you know, alive and well, not as if I haven't slept for three days. I chose the palest shade, which is Fair, but they do a really wide variety of shades, with more being developed all the time. So currently, the brand are at 20 shades, but why stop there? I think until they make concealer for women with really dark skin then the market for concealer won't be truly complete. Obviously Mac, Iman Makeup and higher end brands like Dior and Nars do dark shades of concealer, but I never really see any in the drugstore, or in any shops on the high street that sell a bit of makeup (I live in a town where the nearest John Lewis and Mac is an hour away, and there isn't even a Space NK in Wales) - so I think that Amazing Cosmetics, with the range of products being stocked in Marks & Spencer, can truly have a hold on the market. 

But let's get back to this shade, and the formula. It's thick, really thick, but so easy to blend, so I was really surprised. I apply it with my fingers, and then use a damp beauty blender to blend out the edges (I swear that the Real Techniques Beauty Blender is on of the best purchases ever). It's thick, so it conceals where you need it but you can also pin-point conceal with it, which not only makes it more diverse, but it can just be that one concealer that you can use for everything. After doing some research, I realised where I'd seen this product, and it was on the gorgeous Rosie Huntington-Whitely's Snapchat, as she's always posting little mini snaps of what products she's using - so if this is supermodel recommended, then you know I'm going to be a fan. 

In the images above, you can see it swatch on, then semi blended, and then below, you can see the fully blended shot (this was just blended with my fingers, not my beauty blender), so you can see that covering of uneven skin tone, such as veins etc. It's a really wonderful addition to my makeup bag, that I've used almost daily since I bought it from M&S, and please don't be turned off by the formula - it's thick and packed full of pigment, so you know that it's going to conceal anything you'd like concealed. For me, blemishes don't stand a chance, and dark circles are significantly reduced in appearance. It's £29.50 for a 15ml tube, which is a bit expensive, but for me, this is going to be something that I'll be repurchasing again and again, because it's perfect. 

Estée Lauder Makeup and Skincare Haul with First Impressions.

If you read my blog quite frequently, then you know that I looove some Estée Lauder. Skincare, makeup, fragrance... EL is just perfection for me, as I'm yet to come across a product that I don't really like (and to be honest, I hope that never happens). The skincare is glorious, and I've almost finished my second lot of Advanced Night Repair, which is basically everything good in one little bottle. It's quite rich, so I use it every other night, but when I do, my skin practically slurps it up! Who knew that my skin was that thirsty for ANR? But anyway, back to my haul! I'll give you a little backstory to this before I go delving into products: I'd had a long day and work, and a customer said something horrible to me, that basically shattered my confidence, made me really self conscious and practically made sure that I'd never wear a blue tight fitting dress to work again. Can you guess what it is? She asked if I was pregnant. To say I was shocked, was a bit of an understatement. I just laughed it off at the time, as she explained that a ruffle on my dress made her think that I was hiding a baby bump... but after she'd gone (she literally ran away from me, in shame probably) I felt so self conscious. I kept pulling my dress down, crossing my arms in front of me... I almost went to put my coat on to work, because I was so conscious of how I looked. I'll admit, I do have curves. I used to think that the dress showed them off nicely, as I've always had customers and my colleagues say lovely things.. but this one lady... she's shattered my confidence. Isn't it strange how one person can change how you perceive yourself?

The next day, still a bit upset, I strolled into Debenhams with the aim of looking at the lipsticks from Estée Lauder, as I don't own any... but typical me, I had a good nose through all of the offerings, and that was when I spotted a few items that I hadn't seen before. First of all, hello matte red lipstick! I am a huge fan of matte red lips, so this was something that had to come home with me. It's from their Pure Colour Envy Matte selection and this red was just perfect. You can never have too many reds, right? It's my favourite kinda red as well, a blue red that makes teeth look whiter and suits my pale skin. Decisive Poppy is such a classic shade, that's actually really creamy for a matte. Very impressed so far, but will be sure to do a full review, with full swatches. I will say this though, the packaging is so luxe. It feels so heavy in the hand, and snaps to a close with a really satisfying click. I just love the sound that it makes.

The next area I went to were the concealers, as I'd never had one from EL, and the look of their Double Wear concealer was very appealing. Sadly they didn't have any shades suitable enough for my ridiculously pale skin, but oh well, that took me onto better things, i.e. Double Wear Brush on Glow BB, which is basically a highlighter and concealer in one: think of Estée Lauder's version of YSL's Touche Eclat. The packaging is luxury and gorgeous, I feel really fancy when applying it (I love that feeling) but I'm not going to speak too soon on this one, as I like to test them out for a good week or so before giving out any opinions. Although, from swatching, it looks glowy and with a good amount of coverage. So I'm really looking forward to using this in the upcoming days. 

Eyeshadow was another one that I was on the lookout for, as you can never have too many of them either, right? I'd seen single eyeshadows from them before on the EL counters, and yes they'd been pretty, but my eye had never been caught by them. Until this beauty. Enter Pure Colour Envy Eyeshadow Palette in Defiant Nude, a palette that is so stunning, I can't really find the words. A nude matte champagne shade for a base, then a little more golden colour for adding some definition, then enter the first defining colour - a soft sandstone colour that's simply made for going in the crease of an eye, then we have the bronze shade; a shade that is so packed with pigment it just knocks you in the face and makes you want to apply it all over it - so stunning. Lastly, and the final matte, it's a deep dark chocolate brown, glorious for smoking out a simple neutral eye. Basically, I fell in love with these shades and managed to grab the last one. I'm so so glad that I did, because I feel a palette this stunning needs to be raved about and from what I've seen so far, I think I'll be doing just that. 

My last pick was one from the skincare front, and to match my love for ANR, I decided to pick up their Advanced Night Repair Eye, which is basically a cooling, nourishing gel for the under eyes and eyelids. Once again, I'm not going to say much, because skincare needs to be tested thoroughly, but I like it so far. I'm quite excited to have the matching serum and eye cream, but I'm going to say this: I expect a lot, because I hold the serum in very high regard. Very high. 

One little thing that I didn't realise, was that there's a free gift with purchase. God, I love it when that happens. An Illuminating Perfecting Primer (ha, I bet you thought I was forgetting about that one) which I have yet to put on my face, but on my hand it felt divine! As well as a makeup bag, full of travel sized goodies that you can bet are going into my 'Travel Skincare' section, there's also a mini of the eye cream/eye gel - so I'll be able to take it away with me as well. Don't you just love it when that happens? Haha. Plus, my Instagram has the shot of the free gift with purchase, so definitely head over to lust over them! Believe me, you'll be getting some serious heart eyes! Btw, I just loooove love love Estée Lauder, and this was in no way paid for by them. I paid for all of these with my own money, and I'm going to really, really enjoy them. 

Transitional pink/nude lip products.

I love a good nude lipstick. They're so easy to apply, with most not even needing a mirror (or maybe that's just me) and these four are a selection of my favourites, ranging from Clinique to Primark, because good colours and formulas come at all prices, and in locations you wouldn't usually think of looking in. Today, Clinique's Lip Pop in Nude is the most expensive, costing £16, whilst L'Oreal is £6.99, the Maybelline crayon is £4.99, and the lipliner from Primark is only £1. The range with nude lip products is so varied, that there's simply so many to choose and love; I think the nude lip look came back in full force with Kylie Jenner's influence, but since then, it's taken on a direction of it's own. With almost every cosmetic company doing a nude lip product of some kind, I think we're all quite spoilt for choice. I think a good nude can be worn at any time of year, and these are four of my recent favourites. 

The formula from Clinique's Lip Pop is creamy, moisturising but long wear, a trio that don't always correspond very well, but the brand has mastered it very well with this mixture. This is a lipstick I can slick on, without a mirror, blend out with my fingertips, and go. It's that easy! Plus the packaging is wonderful, making it so easy to identify which shade you want if you're in a rush, or just rooting around in your handbag for the perfect lipstick (I do this too often). L'Oreal's Erotique shade is just gorgeous, a more 'my lip colour but better shade' than almost any other lip product that I've found, so it's perfect for dressing down or dressing up. It's totally the type of shade that you can wear for any occasion, with a buttery soft application and a good three/four hour wear time before any touchups are needed, this lipstick is a must have! 

Maybelline started a mad rush for these lip products when they brought them up, with numerous bloggers hailing them as Nars dupes, which I think is always a fabulous thing for their publicity - plus this shade of Nude Perfection is held up as a dupe for Mac's Velvet Teddy. I adore this formula from Maybelline. It's so easy to apply, but this has a brown undertone to it, making it a really 'now' lip colour, before we even really realised it. KJ would so wear this, if she wasn't obsessed with her own lip products (and who can blame her for that?) but for me, this shade is it! Better than Minimalist from the same range, it's such a perfect texture of a creamy, almost matte finish - this lipstick cannot have enough good things said about it. Primark are really stepping their makeup game up, and I think this is their nude shade, and it applies slightly less pink than you'd imagine from the packaging... it's a wonderful base to a lipstick, or simply worn on it's own, it can totally stand up to lip products that are far more expensive than it. I apply it in the morning for work, and three hours later, it's still there, holding strong and giving bigger brands a run for their money. 

What are your go-to lipsticks for transitioning seasons? 

From Left: Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick in Nude Perfection, Primark Lip Liner, L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Erotique and Clinique Lip Pop in Nude. 

March: My Instagram catchup, tips and favourite accounts.

I knooooooow, it's been ages since I last posted an Instagram catchup, so I thought today, why not switch it up and show all you lovelies what's been going on. I think the first thing that catches your eyes... PUGS. I looooove pugs. My cousin has two, and they are just the best. Squishy faces, mischievous personalities and whilst one just wants to cuddle all day, the other wants to play... so if you're feeling snuggly or playful, there's a pug for you! The fawn pug is Brian, and the glossy black pug is Bertie... they're such darlings, but don't let their big eyes deceive you, they are little monkey's and know exactly what they're doing. Ugh, they're such cute little puddings. 

Another thing that you may have noticed via my Instagram, is that I went to London the other week. How was it, you ask? It was fantastic! Harry Potter Studio's is everything I ever dreamed of, and London is a place that I've only been once or twice in my life, so actually being there, walking around and being able to photograph it, I'm sure I'll remember the experience for a long time. My boyfriend (Lloyd) and I spent hours just walking around, and being deceptively flat, London had me walking miles and miles, just looking at its architecture and beauty. One beauty that I did find, was Charlotte Tilbury's Store... and it was a dream. Everything was perfect in there. Glass, mirrors, ornate little boxes for keeping cotton buds in, roses... it was all just beautiful. It's an art deco dream, and somewhere all beauty lovers should make the pilgrimage to - you'll not regret it. Whilst in London, I took the customary Liberty London flower shots, because they were just so wonderfully cheery (I'm a blogger cliche, I know). 

Since coming back from London, I've been trying to up my blogging game, and I tried to do so for Mother's Day, where I featured homeware from Amara Living, and numerous delicious cakes, such as the Victoria Sponge pictured above. It was so so so delicious, and it's something I'll share on the blog soon, as you should all experience the yumminess of it. You won't regret it. (you'll also not regret following me on Instagram ;) just sayin')

Tips.

Good lighting is always a plus, but using the Instagram filters wisely is a brilliant way to add vibrancy. I recommend upping the brightness, sharpness and fiddling with the highlight/shadows to achieve the look you want. 

Photograph what you love, and what you'd love to see come up on your feed. Make the food look extra delicious, the doggies extra adorable and the makeup extra lust-worthy. For food, the lighting is key, so I only tend to take shots of food in the daylight, as artificial light can make everything seem very yellow. You can do a birds eye shot, or one simply from where you're sitting like I did, just make sure that you get a bit of everything in. In this shot, the pasta, polenta fries, my drink, my boyfriends calzone and even pizza cutter are featured, so don't be afraid to take a few shots and experiment before everyone tucks into all the yum food, and all thoughts of photographs are forgotten. For pets, they generally tend to get themselves into the cutest positions (awe, the darlings) but once again, lighting is key. Bertie, the little rascal, has a gorgeous glossy black coat, and this is a nightmare to edit when he's alongside his brother, the fawn shaded Brian, but then it's all about playing up the contrast, but still getting the details. You can still see Bertie's expression in this shot, as well as Brian, without either of them looking too washed out, or too dark. For makeup, I say experiment until you find a style that suits you, but I'm forever changing styles. Playing with compositions and colours, as well as props is really important. I'm obsessed with fresh flowers and petals at the moment, so you can bet that they'll be featured on the blog a lot, very soon.

If you're stuck for content like I sometimes am, I add a quote or a even a photograph from another Instagram/tumblr account, or even from Pinterest. I might even take a few pictures one day, and then spread them out over the week if I know that I'm not doing anything exciting. Remember this, pretty shoes on a pretty floor always makes for a good shot (totally obsessed with 'from where I I stand' photographs). I think one of my most important, is hashtagging. I try and include #bbloggers #fbloggers and #lbloggers in my posts, as well as #instalike, #instagood and #instagram, but you can also add as many as you want, depending on whats in the photograph, like #makeup #mac #lipstick or #pug #puppy #instapug. 

Accounts that I'm coveting right now. 

Kate from Kate La Vie, the most Instagrammable house, cat and adventures. Helen from thelovecatsinc is one of my favourite bloggers, and her Instagram is a reflection of her blog: clean, sleek and perfect for gazing at. Rebecca from rougepout_beauty is a haven from makeup lovers, with everyday makeup selections and products that you just want to steal for your own makeup bag. Sarah from temporary-secretary is a bright, colourful page full of makeup, yummy food and a dog that is so damn fluffy I just want to cuddle her all day.